The Quad

Location

This location is in the center of Metroplex U.

Note: This area has a different set of encounters before completing The Protest quest, see The Quad (during protest).

This area is outdoors, aboveground.

Legend
	Combat Encounters		Etheric only
	Noncombat Encounters		Non-Etheric only
	Choice Encounters		Requires Fishing pole
	Gang Warfare Encounters		Can lead to a Hacking Encounter

Note: This zone tends to have special encounters during Halloween and Christmas. See those pages for details on limited-time content.

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Combat Encounters

	Opponent	Encounter Text	Notes
	Midgard Security	As you make your way across the Quad, you pass a Midgard security officer walking in the other direction. He stops and turns. "Wait a second, you're the psycho who killed that stupid poet aren't you?" He shakes his head as he reaches for a weapon. "They don't even have to pay me to take a crack at scum like you. To think they used to put your kind in prison… disgusting."	Only if you've killed the poet
	Third Eye Ganger	You see a man in a Third Eye t-shirt approaching you from across the quad. "Hey!" he shouts, loud enough several students turn their heads, "no 'clipse on our turf 'cept our 'clipse!" He seems fairly intent on beating you down… in the middle of the Quad… in broad daylight.	Only if not a member of Third Eye
	The Bum	A crazed looking man wanders up to you. "They slaughter us like cattle, like cattle!" His face melts into a pool on the ground. Then things start to get weird.
	Twisted Hound	As you make your way through the piles of garbage left behind by the protesters, you hear a low growl behind you. Your perception bleeds as you spin around to find yourself face-to-face with a twisted mockery of a dog.
	2 Punk Students	The Quad seems strangely quiet as you wander across its grassy surface. A moment later, you realize why it's so abandoned as two men in the age-old uniform of punks rush towards you, their voices blending into one incoherent battlecry. Everyone's heard about violence on campus, but their actions seem utterly beyond the pale.	Only after defeating 7-8 Insulting Punks and/or Mistaken Punks, but before finishing Punk Uprising. Does not show up with punk outfit.
	Punk Student, Punk Bomber	The Quad seems strangely quiet as you wander across its grassy surface. A moment later, you realize why it's so abandoned as two men in the age-old uniform of punks rush towards you, their voices blending into one incoherent battlecry. Even compared to his companion, the punk on the right seems absolutely crazed. The manic cast of his eyes makes it almost painful to meet his gaze, but when you do he shouts "Blind the Eye! Burn it all!" Judging by the Molotov cocktail apparently "it all" starts with you.	Must meet all conditions for 2 x punk student combat above. Once you have supplied enough explosives to the Conspiring Punk to earn 20 reward items, additional explosive donations replace the next few instances of the 2 x punk combat with this instead (see discussion page 2).

Noncombat Encounters

	Encounter	Result	Notes
	Free OJ	Get one orange juice sample	Only once per day
	The Blind Legion	Get 2-3 Legion Tract	If you don't have Walk With the Blind equipped
	Wandering student	Get one castor capsule	Only if Etheric
	Missing Student	Starts Problems On The Docks quest	Once only
	Found Student	Get student PDA and some cred chips	Only after completing the Problems on the Docks Quest and getting the Missing Student encounter
	Student Found Dead	(none)	Only if you completed the Problems on the Docks quest by shooting The Artist
	Maxwell's Reward	Get 2 battered cred chip	Only after completing The Missing Artist quest and helping the artist flee?
	Maxwell's Bigger Reward	Get student PDA and some cred chips	Only after completing The Missing Artist and accepting the quest from him
	Midgard Relay Net	Relevant to the Golden Chip's Backbone Control	With Juryrigged Antenna and University Relay
	University Relay	Relevant to the Golden Chip's Backbone Control	With Juryrigged Antenna and University Relay, after viewing a Relay Connection enough

Choice Encounters

Horrible Poet - Only if you don't have Survey of Modern Poetry equipped or have unlocked the Punk Bomber

1. Ignore him - Get 1 bad poetry and 2 XP in Will
2. Respond with worse - If you have bad poetry equipped, exchange it for satirical poetry
   If you have satirical poetry equipped, gain 3 XP in Will
   If you have programmatic satire equipped, gain 4 XP in Will
   Otherwise, gain 1 XP in Will
3. Pretend to be an old friend - (Only if you know his name from his friend in Open Computer Lab - Gain 3-5 Will
4. Crack skulls - Fight hipster; if you defeat him, unlock Midgard Security combat, (and kill him permanently?)
5. Run away! - Gain 1 XP in Strength and Reflexes

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Trash From Environmentalists

1. Join the digging - Gain 2-3 of: battered cred chip, dirty old trenchcoat, gas grenades, frayed cable, knit cap, Legion tract, Metros Light, protest sign, Third Eye shirt, Riot Baton OR fight 2 trash golems (if Etheric) OR unlock Quad Psycho vigilante justice encounter (if Etheric and you have watched Killers 3?)
2. Meditate in it - Gain ~23 hit points and learn Trash Simulacrum (most probably requires Poltergeist Spark and etheric)
3. Kill the rat - (If Etheric), fight an angered rat, (otherwise), fight a cornered rat
4. Leave it be - Walk away

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College Druggy - Only while on Dr. Thomas Quest and have a crate of Eclipse in inventory

1. Give him a crate - Lose a crate of Eclipse, progress in Dr. Thomas quest
2. Trade him a crate - Trade crate of Eclipse for 6-8 of: Castor capsules, megavitamins, painkillers, pep pills, progress in Dr. Thomas quest
3. Leave him be - Nothing

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Insulting Punk - if not scared away for the day (see encounter for details)

1. Beat him down (evil) - Fight punk student; triggers cool coin
2. Talk Halloween (only during Halloween) - Changes from year to year
3. Give him pamphlets (only during Halloween 2010) - support the Counter-Party Plan
4. Encourage holiday mayhem (only during Halloween 2010) - add a destructive punk to the basement-ballroom-2010
5. Match him - (after beating him up) - Gain 2 XP in Will and scare him off for a day
   (With 10 or more Etheric Power) - Gain 5 XP in Will and scare him off for a day?
   (otherwise) - Gain 2-3? XP in Will
6. Leave him - Walk Away

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Mistaken Punk

1. Show him police brutality (evil) - Fight Punk Student
2. Match wits - Gain 2 XP each in Strength and Will
3. Clear up confusion - Gain 2 XP in Will
4. Ignore him - walk away

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Fleeing Pool Shark - Only if unlocked in The Happy Hour

1. Sneak up on him - Can lead to Captured Pool Shark*
2. Rush him - Get Strength XP, unlocks Hiding Pool Shark, or leads to Captured Pool Shark**
3. Leave him be - Nothing?

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Hiding Pool Shark - Only after chasing him

1. Pick up the chase - gain 3 XP in Strength, or go to Captured Pool Shark
2. Leave him be - Nothing?

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Captured Pool Shark - Need to chase him repeatedly or successfully sneak up on him

1. Hear him out
   1. I want the watch - Get Anthony's watch
   2. Give me your earnings - Gain 80 credits
   3. Hand over the pool cue - Get hustler's cue
   4. Fine, just go - Removes encounter
   5. Just kidding, die! (evil) - Fight Pool Shark
2. Charge him (evil) - Fight Pool Shark
3. Let him slip away - Nothing?

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Maxwell in Need - Must have rescued the art student in Problems on the Docks, additional requirements?

1. I'll look around - start The Missing Artist quest (good)
2. Why me?
   1. Okay, fine/Can't say no to that* - start The Missing Artist quest
   2. I'll think about it - Walk away?
3. What's in it for me?
   1. I'll help anyway/Alright, deal - start The Missing Artist quest
   2. Yeah, no/No thanks - Walk away?
4. Um, who are you?
   1. Sure, I'll help - start The Missing Artist quest
   2. Not right now - Walk away?
5. Yeah, not happening - Walk away?

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Student Selling Books - Only if she still has books to sell

1. EE301 - lose 40 credits, gain Electrical Engineering III, remove option
2. Physics 520 - lose 40 credits, gain Quantum Mechanics, remove option
3. History 110 - lose 40 credits, gain History of the Orbital Wars, remove option
4. English 315 - lose 40 credits, gain Survey of Modern Poetry, remove option
5. Rush her - Get pelted with paper mache for 1 damage
6. Make excuses - walk away?

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Conspiring Punk - Must have started Punk Uprising Quest while in the Punk Disguise

1. Ask him why - Info
2. Slip him dynamite - Get 1 item
3. Hand over Nitro - Get 2 items
4. Volunteer NitroX - Get 4 items
5. Provide a Molotov - Get 4 items
6. Give a frag grenade - Get 4 items
7. Produce a crate of explosives - Get 10 items
8. Give him the cookbook - Get 10 items
9. Hand over a massive weapons crate - Get 20 items
10. Lash out - Fight Punk Student, or Punk Bomber if explosives have been donated (20 items' worth).
11. Make your excuses - Walk Away

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Figure in Flames - After helping the Conspiring Punk enough

1. Walk up to chat - Nothing, or with Walk with the Blind:
   1. What's your plan? - Information
   2. What is the Legion - Information
   3. These capsules yours? (with a hefty capsule) - Information
   4. Let me join! - Nothing, or if you have picked all the above, Learn Legion's Eyes
   5. Jump him - Fight Silhouette in Flames
   6. Back away slowly - Nothing?
2. Attack it - Fight Silhouette in Flames
3. Take up sniping - Fight Silhouette in Flames or Learn Sniper
4. Leave it be - Nothing?

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Notes

*(I succeeded w/ 17(15),18,18(19),18, +4 stealth power.)
(failed with 4(7),8(11),7(10),8(11), +0 stealth, also with same stats and +2 stealth, then again +1 base percep and +1 base ref)
(Got him with +3 stealth power and 5(9), 4(7), 5 (8), 5(8))
(Succeeded with +3 stealth and 8(12) 9 9 7)
**Pool shark runs away, getting tired and giving you strength xp (I got 3 Percep XP instead, never got the hiding pool shark encounter, and succeeded on the second rush attempt, with 5(8),9(12),8(11),8(11)) (Unlocks Hiding Pool Shark)
OR (only after picking up the chase?)

Gang Warfare Encounters

These encounters show up when you control an area through Gang Warfare (except where indicated):

Noncombat Encounters

	Encounter	Result	Notes
	Supplying Fortification	Converts one gang Profit to fortifications	Doesn't require control of the area
	Building Control (The Quad)	Queue another defender	Only with less than 5 defenders and no one else to fight
	Drive Demand (The Quad)	Gain 5 XP in Reflexes, increase value of drugs or curiosities shipments by 1	Agenda setting
	Scavenge (The Quad)	Get 4-6 of: battered cred chip, broken bottle, caramel bar, Castor capsule, circuit fragments, corduroys, frayed cable, fresh cred chip, lukewarm latte, Metros Light, microcapacitor, Omniwatch, optical sensor, orange juice sample, whiskey bottle, Third Eye shirt, the over/under, gas grenades. Earn 5 XP in Perception	Agenda setting
	Security (The Quad)	Queue extra gang warfare combat in area. If you have complete control, instead gain 33-39? hit points and 5 XP in Will	Agenda setting
	Shakedown (The Quad)	Gain 5 XP in Strength, 50-75 Credits, learn Throttle (sometimes)	Agenda setting

Combat Encounters

	Opponent	Encounter Text	Notes
	Drunken Challenger	During a respite in the gang wars, you see an obviously drunk man approaching. "Hey, you! I know you! You think you own the place! I'll show you!" He runs at you, surprisingly quickly for a drunk man, and lunges at you with a broken bottle.	Doesn't require control
	Third Eye Hunter	You see one of the Third Eye hunters you were talking to earlier. He grimaces at you as he slips out a pistol. "See, I don't like you being here… but I certainly won't be lied to."	If you pick "I'll leave" in A Message from Big M and then encounter him again the same day, doesn't require control
	Third Eye Sorcerer, 2 Third Eye Gangers	Good (3) You pass a few Third Eye who are busy talking up neural recordings to the students. They're saying lots of stuff like "they're just thoughts, they won't tear up your body like drugs," and "imagine the best day you ever had. Now you can have that every day, drug-free." They seem fairly inoffensive, if technically illegal, until a student threatens to report them to Midgard. One of the Third Eye glares at her and she bursts into vibrant green flames. The other two Third Eye laugh, almost doubling over as they howl with glee. You're sure Midgard, or at least campus security, will investigate something that flagrant. Even if Midgard would take them out, they'll be long gone by then, so you take matters into your own hands.	Vigilante Justice Drops 3-4 of: study chip, numbing chip, unformatted memory core, and Ease in addition to normal drops.
	Third Eye Hunter, Third Eye Ganger, 2 Third Eye Poseurs	Good (3) As you make your patrols around the Quad, you see a group of Third Eye planning for some sort of serious unpleasantness. A sniper rifle and some explosives are definitely involved… You think you heard your name too. Not that it matters.	Vigilante Justice Get Sniper Rifle, and some of: Frag Grenades, Dynamite, and Nitro in addition to normal drops.
	Quad Psycho	Good (3) You hear the beginning of a scream, cut off before it's even formed. As you turn, you can see the flash of a knife. A few long strides get you close enough to see the silent assailant. He turns and smiles charmingly, standing over the lump of indistinct flesh at his feet. He raises his knife, positioning it perfectly to glint in the moonlight, and begins to hum something that sounds like the Metroplex U fight song.	Vigilante Justice Only appears if you know about him

Choice Encounters

A Message from Big M - Occurs even if member of Third Eye, doesn't require control

1. Let's just fight - Fight Third Eye Hunter
2. Alright, let's talk
   1. Here you go - Lose 250 credits, pacify messenger for the day?
   2. How about a crate of Eclipse - Lose crate of Eclipse, messenger pacified, but says Big M might send 'crazier toughs'; progress in Dr. Thomas Quest
   3. How about some old coins - ?
   4. I'd rather fight - Fight Third Eye Hunter?
3. I'll leave - Unlocks Third Eye Hunter combat?

History

This used to exist:

Punk Student

A student who's apparently bought into the punk lifestyle hassles you as you cross the Quad. He unloads a volley of accusations about your parentage, sexual preference, taste in music, and a few so thickly veiled in slang that you're not even sure what he's talking about.